BEST OF 2015: Steve Nover’s Top 60 Concerts

By Greg Haymes On Jan 7, 2016

Erykah Badu @ Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, 6/28/15

By Steve Nover
Photographs by Andrzej Pilarczyk, Rudy Lu

1. Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, June 27 & 28 featuring Cassandra Wilson, Monty Alexander, Christian McBride Big Band, Al Di Meola, Snarky Puppy, Erykah Badu, Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters, Django Festival All-Stars, Heads of State… plus 10 more bands
2. Joe Jackson @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, October 26
3. J.D. McPherson @ The Hangar, Troy, August 31
4. The Fab Faux @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, March 28
5. Squeeze Acoustic (Difford & Tilbrook) @ the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, December 16
6. Psychedelic Furs / The Church @ Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, August 12
7. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, December 5
8. The Funky Meters @ the College of St. Rose’s Massry Center, Albany, April 16
9. Mavis Staples / Joan Osborne @ Proctors, Schenectady, November 6
10. Tommy Emmanuel @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, September 26
11. The Edgar Winter Band / Charmboy at Alive at Five @ Jennings Landing, Albany, July 23
12. Joey Alexander Trio @ the Music Haven, Schenectady, August 2
13. Felicia Collins / Bobbie Van Detta & the Split @ the Music Haven, Schenectady, August 19
14. Jazz at the Lake @ Shepard Park, Lake George, September 20 featuring the Ghost Train Orchestra, the Works featuring Joe Lovano and Victor Prieto Trio
15. Sufjan Stevens @ the Palace Theatre, Albany, April 5

16. Rhiannon Giddens @ The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, April 21
17. Booker T. Jones at the Albany Riverfront Jazz Fest @ Corning Preserve Boat Launch, Albany
18. Laetitia Sadier @ BSP Lounge, Kingston, October 4
19. Peter Wolf @ the Midnight Travelers @ The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, Albany, October 10
20. The Mike Stern Band @ the Madison Theater, Albany, May 5
21. Chuck Prophet @ Bitterzoet, Amsterdam, Netherlands, June 6
22. Dave Rawlings Machine @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, November 7
23. Zappa Plays Zappa @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, April 7
24. Steven Wilson @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, May 21
25. The Bad Plus Joshua Redman @ Skidmore College’s Zankel Center, Saratoga Springs, October 23
26. Ry Cooder, Ricky Skaggs, Sharon White & Friends @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, November 15
27. Maxi Priest / Morgan Heritage @ Empire State Plaza, Albany, June 24
28. Blue Man Group @ Proctors, Schenectady, March 10
29. Buffy Sainte-Marie @ the Eighth Step at Proctors’ GE Theatre, Schenectady, May 23
30. Steeleye Span @ the Music Haven, Schenectady, July 19
31. Bill Kirchen @ The Hangar, Troy, December 20
32. Buddy Guy @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, November 11
33. David Crosby @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, June 30
34. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra @ Proctors, Schenectady, October 6
35. Robby Krieger @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, April 11
36. Bruce Cockburn @ The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, Albany, May 1
37. “Remebering Lee Shaw” @ Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady’s Whisperdome, Schenectady, December 11

38. Marcus Roberts Trio / Anat Cohen at the Bridge Jazz Festival @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, February 27
39. Art Garfunkel @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, October 24
40. The Rave-Ons @ the Pruyn House’s Buhrmaster Barn, Colonie, August 5
41. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, October 9
42. Joan Armatrading @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, April 12
43. Shuggie Otis @ The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, Albany, July 26
44. Commander Cody / the Lustre Kings @ The Hangar, Troy, April 19
45. Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds @ the Hollow Bar + Kitchen, Albany, March 28
46. Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan @ Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, October 4
47. Arturo O’ Farrill Septet @ College of St. Rose’s Massry Center, Albany, October 16
48. Loudon Wainwright III’s “Surviving Twin” @ The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, Albany, October 2
49. Leo Kottke @ The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, Albany, March 7
50. Asleep at the Wheel / Quebe Sisters @ The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, March 8
51. Regina Carter @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, October 5
52. Tango Buenos Aires @ The Egg’s Hart Theatre, Albany, February 11
53. Wayne Hancock @ The Hangar, Troy, September 30
54. The Shadows of the ’60s @ Empire State Plaza, Albany, September 16
55. The Outta Sites @ the Beer Belly, Albany, June 25
56. Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience @ the Palace Theatre, Albany, May 19
57. The Klezmatics @ The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, Albany, November 22
58. Mary Gauthier / Allison Moorer @ The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, Albany, March 26
59. Ryley Walker @ the Low Beat, Albany, October 12
60. Iris DeMent / Pieta Brown @ The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, Albany, November 13

6 Comments

Bill says 7 years ago
That’s a really outstanding list and if you saw 60 shows that good last year, you are the concert king!
Greg says 7 years ago
Never doubt the magical concert-going powers of the ubiquitous Mr. Nover…
Jim Gross says 7 years ago
Steve Nover is always where cool stuff happens.
steve nover says 7 years ago
Left out a few that would have been on the list’s second half – Perez, Patitucci & Blade at The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, Nov. 11; Yo La Tengo at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Sept. 23; two 9 Maple Avenue shows featuring Chuck D’Aloia; the Hollow Bar + Kitchen had a few WEQX shows that were fine; Greg Bell brought the Talking Heads tribute band Start Making Sense, who have never disappointed. No room for many of the free summer shows including Tulip Fest and Larkfest. An embarrassment of riches…
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Val Haynes says 7 years ago
Don’t know what to say, except I’m grateful you enjoyed it, Greg!
xoxo~v.
Stanley Johnson says 7 years ago
If I didn’t see Steve before a show, I’d wonder if I was at the right place.